289

Heart to
heart
Actress Brenda Blethyn –
currently on the case as TV
detective Vera – chats to Yours
By Alison James
It’s always a joy to chat
to Brenda Blethyn
over tea and biccies.
She’s such a laugh and
very much one of the
girls. But what she’s just
told us has made us see
her in a whole new light.
In addition to being an
award-winning actress, the
woman’s also a DIY wizz!
“Yes, I’ve done a lot of
DIY in my time,” she reveals.
“I’ve put up shelves, laid a
floor, taken out a fireplace
and once I plumbed in a
toilet and basin.”
What?
“Not in the house that I
live in now,” she laughs.
“I moved out of there
pretty sharpish once I’d
done the plumbing!”
Brenda is joking of
course but undertaking
serious plumbing like that
is no laughing matter. How
did she know how to do it?
“Oh, I read up on it and
asked a few questions,” she
says. “I’m a bit like Vera in
that respect – I bet she’d be
Brenda
reveals a
surprising
talent!
Brenda shares a secret
She wouldn’t turn her nose up at
playing Miss Marple on TV.
“I wouldn’t mind a crack at it!
I believe I was considered at one
time but I was too young! The
wonderful Joan Hickson (right) is my
all-time favourite Miss Marple, but I
like Julia McKenzie, too. She’s terrific.”
Brenda as the indomitable
Vera Stanhope with Kenny
Doughty as DS Aiden Healy
capable of plumbing in a loo.
I wouldn’t do it now, though.
Not when I can afford
someone else to do it and I
can criticise them!”
It’s doubtful she’d have
the time, either – not when
she spends five months of
the year in the North East
making Vera, now in its
eighth series.
“Filming is very intensive;
we do a four-weeks-on, oneweek-off
pattern. For the first
few years, I stayed in a hotel.
It was very nice but I’d be
climbing the walls because
all I’d want to do at the end of
a long day’s filming was boil
an egg and make some toast
– impossible in a hotel. Now
I rent a small flat, which suits
me fine.”
However, there was a
time at the end of the last
series that Brenda was
doubtful she wanted to
carry on making Vera.
“The only way I can
describe it is to say it’s like
when you’ve had a massive
meal and you can’t ever
think about eating again,”
she smiles. “The waiter goes,
‘Would you like to see the
menu again?’ and you’re like,
‘No! Please! Leave me alone!’
But the next day you’re
hungry again. When I’ve just
finished making the four
Vera films, I don’t want to
think about the next lot. But
give it a couple of weeks and
it’s different. The success of
it has been overwhelming,
really, and it’s very nice to be
central to that.”
Overwhelming is spot-on.
It’s sold to more than 20
countries worldwide and
Brenda says it never ceases
to amaze her how many
young fans the series has.
“Earlier this year I went to
a crime writers’ convention
in Harrogate with Vera
‘The success of
Vera has been
overwhelming,
really, and it’s
very nice to be
central to that’
creator, Anne Cleeves, and
my co-star Kenny Doughty,”
Brenda explains. “At the end
of one of the talks there was
a Q&A and a 12-year-old boy
stood up and said, ‘Vera is
my favourite programme
and my friends’ favourite
programme.’ He went on to
explain that they loved it
because Vera was very stern
but funny, too. He and his
mates also loved the stories
and tried to work out who’d
committed the crimes.
“That’s what my
nephew’s family like to do,
too, and during commercial
breaks, they lower the
sound on the TV and discuss
the case! I’m surprised and
delighted that the show
appeals to such a wide
demographic – it’s not
like we’re going out of
our way to appeal to
young audiences so it’s
a real bonus. There are
Vera trails that have been
star chat
set up around the beautiful
locations where we film in
the North East – the moors,
countryside and fabulous
coastline.
“In fact, Anne Cleeve
was minding her own
business one day when
a very excited young girl
identified her from her tiny
photo on the Vera books.
The girl had been brought
on the trail by her dad for
a 21st birthday treat! Anne
then invited them on set to
watch some filming! I was
also very chuffed to be told
that tourism in the region
where we film has increased
by 25 per cent since we
started making Vera. I’m not
surprised – it is an absolutely
stunning part of the UK and
the people are so lovely, too.
And so resilient. At one time
their economy was almost
completely reliant on ship
building and coal mining.
Both industries have gone
now but the region is rising
from the ashes. There’s a lot
of filming going on up here.”
While filming this
last series Brenda (71)
brought her two-year-old
Cockerpoo dog, Jack, up to
Northumberland.
“They cared for him at
the production base when
we were filming,” she says.
“I couldn’t have brought
him on set with me – he’d
never have left me alone.
He did make it on set once
or twice, though, and one
of the production team
made a video of him, acting
like he was a dog detective,
with footage of him in Vera’s
office, the operations room
and even the morgue with
the soundtrack of Nine to
Five by Dolly Parton in the
background. It’s hilarious!”
Just like Brenda always is!
n Vera is on ITV
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PICs: jonathan birch/camera press, rex/shutterstock